O the Joys of…What Are Those Joys for You?

I write a lot about philosophical concepts, and that might lead some to believe that I live in some sort of make-believe world. I don’t. My world right now is a challenge from the standpoint of very material things; however, my beliefs, my heart truths, have carried me into wonderful, surreal, bordering on supernatural associations.

Last night my post about my very real life experiences of yesterday involved with a charity, The Frozen Cup, affirms to me the validity of the things about which I speak. My heart led me to that association, and a former student — such an amazing young man — has followed his heart in establishing the charity, along with many other works. I am thankful that he even recognized me in a liquor store several years ago, where we were both perusing craft beers. See what I mean — real life.

​That meeting, one in which we were both just following our hearts, resulted in the fellowship of our hearts, which means that I am part of his vision while pursuing my own. We reinforce each other, and I cannot tell you how very blessed I am that a young, dynamic guy values me and includes me in his pursuit of happiness and fulfillment of his purpose.

This is a cause for joy, praise, rejoicing to my heart. This is because my expressions in writing and life are an organic, holistic flow. Therefore, when I write about my childhood memories or artists like Vincent and Dali and Chihuly or authors and poets or education or history, social issues, or any of the other topics I cover, these are all tied directly in my mind and heart to my philosophy. I have summed it up under the title of the Grand Unified Theory of Humanity because that involves awakening to self, coming to be aware of who we are at our core being, which leads us to discover our personal truth and opens the door for creating a life purpose consistent with that core Self.

This takes away the emptiness, discontent, dissatisfaction that many people feel. Without these negative feelings, the ego has little with which to work, which means that mean, ugly actions lose their motivation, which means that we can value fellow humans for who and what they truly are, which means that we can have gratitude and joy in life in a daily way.

I admit that this is idealistic, but it becomes realistic when you speak with your heart about it, think about it, filter life, everything, through the heart and then act on it, act according to it. It truly produces praise and helps you to become a co-creator with the Universe and Great Spirit of all. It does away with hatred; it ushers in acceptance — no, more than acceptance, love. When we are in a state of gratitude, we love.

Therefore, when I write about someone like Walt Whitman, I do it to help you discover, help me discover, the joys of knowing self through our own hearts and entering into and extending our fellowship with our own hearts. And lo and behold, when that happens, we find that we send out vibrations that attract others who are in fellowship with their own hearts, and we enter into a mutual fellowship of our hearts. This is why the novel that I have written, which is not yet published, because I’m waiting on my editor (patience, Mike, patience), is titled The Fellowship of the Heart.

For just a bit — and I will finish this tomorrow — I would like to carry forward my thoughts on Walt’s poem, “A Song of Joys.” My heart is filled with joys tonight, and even though I am tired and had to excuse myself from the company of a friend, I think relaying my thoughts on this is important enough to warrant it. What? Only 20 or so people may read this? Doesn’t matter. This is my heart truth and the result of fellowship with my own heart.

Let me very briefly, then, relate Walt’s poem to my experience yesterday. At the charity event, I worked all day in an effort devoted to raising awareness about autism and raising funds, too, to help families affected by autism. And a young autistic boy who overcame one of his challenges by looking me in the eye and smiling gave my great joy, deep joy. O for the joy of connecting with someone who knows that a piece of bubble gum will make me happy! At that moment, that was all he wanted. I could actually list many moments, but this one framed the whole day for me.

In “A Song of Joys,” Walt listed people and situations that any of us encounter on any given day, just like I could have for yesterday — people working together, people enthused about their job, people making sacrifices. Common, everyday things: “O for the voices of animals — O for the swiftness and balance of fishes! / O for the foreign of raindrops in a song! / O for the sunshine and motions of waves in a song! // O the engineer’s joys! to go with a locomotive! / To hear the hiss of steam, the merry shriek, the steam whistle, the laughing locomotive…” Who hasn’t watched fish swimming, heard animals calling, barking, chirping, howling? Who hasn’t seen rain falling or the sunshine or ocean or lake waves? Common, everyday things, right? Yet, how many people look at a locomotive and see it laughing? Heart — not ego.

In the middle of all this, Walt throws in this little praise, this little joy: “O the joy of that vast elemental sympathy which only the human is capable of generating and emitting in steady and limitless floods.” Ego might say, “What’s the big deal? Such silly little gestures and thoughts don’t earn you a buck. What good does it do for others? Do they even know what you’re thinking?”

Well, they may or may not, but it doesn’t matter. On a day like this where I have worked my ass off for others and for our myself, days when like at this very moment my eyes are burning they are so tired, these “elemental sympathies” that have been exercised by me generate and emit into unseen but real realms the positivity of life, the joys of life, the songs that cheer, encourage, and empower all of us. I think we need such elemental sympathies — an understanding and appreciation of the greatness and joys in the basics of everyday life — today more than ever.

How about you? Have you looked around today and seen and appreciated the deep, spiritual joys all around us? I have smiled today at the blessings of life, and it is only with and through my heart that it has been possible.

​O the joy of friends, family, and acquaintances who are living life the best they can. Oh, and strangers and enemies, too!